


sailing weather

by haipollai



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-04
Updated: 2015-04-04
Packaged: 2018-03-21 06:46:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3682038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haipollai/pseuds/haipollai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Bro, if I'm gonna be your friend I should know more than the headlines."</p>
            </blockquote>





	sailing weather

Shitty is sprawled on Jack’s dorm bed when it hits him that this idiot bent over his history homework is actually a friend. Sure Shitty adopted him early on when he realized no one else was going to reach out to the guy. The upperclassmen were all set to hate the son of Bob Zimmermann daring to show up and probably show them up. The underclassmen were all too scared, so Shitty had stepped forward to do his duty. He came to college refusing to be judgmental, he’s going to have a mission and stand up for people.

He doesn’t expect Jack. There’s not much personal in his dorm room, a poster of Lafleur over his bed is about it. On his desk are a few more things, the picture of him with some kids is the most personal thing he has. It’s when Shitty realized there had to be more to the public breakdown story than some rich kid with too many drugs. He’s known rich kids with too many drugs, went to high school with a lot of them.

None of them had pictures of themselves teaching kids hockey. But Jack has them, right there tucked away at his desk where only someone sitting there like Shitty is right then could see. 

“What are you doing at Samwell?”

“Going to school,” Jack answers, no inflection in his tone. “Obviously.” He gestures at the stack of books and texts by his desk. 

Shitty rolls his eyes, refusing to be put off by his stubborn idiocy. “What about school in Toronto or Montreal? Where there’s a pro hockey team you can practice with on the weekends?” He climbs onto the bed next to Jack, it’s too small really but he squeezes in and Jack is too stubborn to give up his bed.

So they sit pressed shoulder to shoulder, Shitty reading Jack’s homework over his shoulder. “I like having a fresh start,” Jack finally says, maybe hoping it will get Shitty to go away.

“Hm. Closer to truth.”

Jack snorts softly. "Glad I have your approval.”

"Bro, if I'm gonna be your friend I should know more than the headlines."

Jack doesn't tense up, but he goes still. Shitty leans heavier into him. "I'm not...you're really annoying," Jack says, just bordering on a whine. Shitty grins, he hasn't been kicked out yet and it feels like a victory. "Maybe I felt like doing something else with my life."

"Yea that history degree is gonna open up options."

The corners of Jack's lips curl up. "I hear historian is a quite satisfying career choice," He says almost completely monotone but maybe it's his posture that says he's joking, or the way his eyes wrinkle at the corners. 

Shitty laughs and shoves him lightly which seems to be enough for Jack to relax. "First history professor to give lessons on the ice."

"Maybe I'll write my thesis on the history of hockey."

"Write a biography of your dad, wouldn't even need to research."

He realises too late that He doesn't know anything about Jack's relationship with his dad, Jack makes a point of not bringing him up. But Jack laughs. Not a big gut busting laugh, but he's definitely sniggering. "My dad hates biographies about himself. We had to listen to him complain about the ESPN movie about the entire Pens team for a month."

"Call him Big Bob, no one will figure it out."

"Genius, what would I do without you Knight," he deadpans.

"You can call me Shitty like everyone else you know."

Jack's face scrunches up as if he can't really believe it's okay but then he sighs. "Shitty."

"Good job." He elbows him in the side and Jack elbows him back. "Wanna watch a movie?"

"I was studying." Jack frowns at him and Shitty wonders if this is going to be two steps forward, one step back constantly. "I guess ... It can wait."

"Its part of the authentic college experience, procrastinating on everything to watch bad tv." Shitty grabs Jack's laptop to sign into Netflix and Jack rearranges himself to be more comfortable. Shitty hadn't been planning on spending all afternoon with a teammate, but Jack isn't that bad. They end up with Jack's head on his shoulder, one of his arms thrown over Shitty's lap and their legs tangled up for the computer to rest on.

He knows Jack has different views of personal space but he's only seen it in glimpses on the ice, he retreats into himself in the locker room. It feels special that he's not as concerned right then. Shitty realizes he's going to be spending the next four years looking out for an idiot jock. He had been expecting Jack Zimmermann to be a pet project, keep the guy on the team so the team will do well, get noticed.

Jack murmurs 'dun dun dun' under his breath when Scully goes to see the obvious bad guy. 

"Ruining the moment," Shitty says.

"Ruining your mom," Jack says.

Shitty gasps dramatically. "You know how to chirp people? You hide it so well."

"Never wanted to waste my time." He shifts, ducking his head away from Shitty but he still catches Jack's half smile.

Shitty wants him to stick around as a friend, which isn't the worst way one of his plans has failed.

-

Shitty sits on the edge of the Haus roof, watching the frogs rack up leaves. He hears the window squeak open and Jack carefully comes out to join him. 

"Last season," Jack says quietly. He rests his arm over Shitty's shoulder

"Can you believe we fucking survived?"

Jack's face scrunches up which Shitty knows now is Jack's sign that he's found too many meanings in whatever Shitty has said. "Physically?" He finally asks. 

Shitty snorts because it's not that funny but it's true. Somehow they made it here, four years later from watching Netflix and game tape on Jack's tiny dorm bed together. Jack gives him a half smile. "It is tempting to shove you off this roof sometimes, I have to admit it," Shitty says instead of anything he's thinking.

"You'd never, you don't want to be captain." Jack stretches back out on the roof, arms under his head. "Canada would have you hung anyway for killing Bad Bob's kid."

"A hanging? What after a good draw and quartering?"

"Always entertaining."

"You're weird Z." Jack punches at his side lightly so Shitty lies down next to him. "Guess it's good I like you."

"Yea?" Jack breathes.

"I'll get you a friendship bracelet as a graduation gift."


End file.
